Tropical Tomb
Fort George Brewery + Public House

My wife bought this for me on her trip to Oregon and smuggled it on the plane for me. I poured it out thick and deep rich brown with a tan khaki head that just sits on top of the beer just kind of gurgling and undulating for several minutes. Very unique that this head lasts so long, it’s just ever so slightly bubbling but it’s really feeling like sticking around. On the Nose I’m getting cinnamon and bourbon and even as advertised a slightly tropical fruity smell to it. The taste is overwhelmingly complex - yes there’s coconut forward on the tongue and pineapple, and limes and almost oranges too. But there’s a lingering heat of the bourbon that lasts on the palate long after the swallow. Yes there’s a lot going on here, it’s like Indian cooking, so many layers. Barely noticed the chili though - but I like my flavors really spicy and it’s not enough to note. And another unique thing about this beer - it is absolutely the thickest beer I’ve ever had. Mouthfeel is syrupy and smooth, it literally coats the inside of my entire mouth the way thick rich maple syrup would. Lightly effervescent. Overall I think it’s so unique to throw tropical fruit in a BBA beer. And I think it’s really successful, the blend of flavors tastes great. Throw in two unique characteristics of a lingering head and thick mouthfeel really make this beer stand out among the crowd.

12-ounce can purchased at Noble Hop Bierhaus in Hillsboro, OR. No date stamp, but this beer was releaaed in cans the day after this year's Fort George Festival of Dark Arts in mid-February. Enjoyed in a Festival of Dark Arts tasting glass.

Look:
Thick black body which transmits no light except at the edges. Burnt umber highlights. It is capped with a short-lived head of dark brown foam. And once the foam is gone, it doesn't return. No surface, no ring, no lacing.

Smell:
The nose almost prepares you for the massive sweetness to come. Dark chocolate, bourbon, a good amount of coconut, hints of butterscotch and coffee, dark earth. The lime leaf is tangy with a sweet edge and it cuts through like a David Gilmour guitar solo.

Taste:
The flavor starts off incredibly sweet, like chocolate syrup thinned with bourbon and a squeeze of lime. The chocolate (but not the sweetness) recedes briefly in the middle, giving other flavors a chance to come through. Pineapple appears underneath the lime, along with marshmallows, graham crackers, and cotton candy. At first, the Thai chili is more felt than tasted, a soft flare of heat that lingers at the finish. As the beer warms, the chili contributes a mild fruity and earthy flavor. There's plenty of bourbon flavor from end to end.

Feel:
The body is medium-heavy with a silky texture. Carbonation is subdued, but gets the job done. There's some alcohol warmth but less than you might expect from a 14.7% stout. It is easily outshined by the chili heat.

Overall:
Tropical Tomb is one of those big Fort George barrel-aged stouts which suffers from massive sweetness. It has a gratifying amount of barrel character, and the lime and chili are excellent features which really set this beer apart. But that sweetness is just too much for me.

insane beer, collaboration with ruse, who is pretty much also always impressive, 15 or 16 bucks for a single 12oz can is absolutely outlandish, frustratingly expensive even for breweries i trust and love, but man thats a big ask, and i have to confess, i felt guilty buying this, but also, its totally worth it, one of the more impressive adjunct stouts ive had in a long time, its just so fabulously well done, honest, and smartly proportioned, a really fun can of beer to share with friends, something pretty special here, undeniably. barrel aged beast of a stout as a base, toasted coconut, pineapple, lime leaf, and thai chili, all of this is appreciable to my senses, but its the lime leaf that i think makes this really stand out as unique, so fragrant and fresh, pungent and oily and essential enough to cut through the heft of this stout, to really be a lead note in aroma and flavor, so cool! there is apparently also cardamom and turmeric in here, although those are accents at best, additional wrinkles of compatible complexity. motor oil thick, close to still looking, impossibly viscous, black, and deep looking, leggy and intimidating, even in small amounts. aromas of high end whiskey with some real character hits me right away, alcohol is a part of this for sure, lots of oak and char and roast, espresso too to me, sets up dark chocolate and indeed toasted coconut really well, the coconut is consistent in aroma and flavor, married into the whiskey side of this inseparably. pineapple adds neat sweetness, tropical for sure, more in the taste than the smell, and maybe the most subtle of the extras in this to my senses, although with just a little bit of pleasing acidity that i think tees up the highly fragrant lime leaf super nicely. the roast intensity on this is high, its awesome, super robust stout, and the lime leaf lifts it to rare heights, an ingredient i love in food, and it surprised me in this beer, of course super good with the chili, which has a little more throat heat than it does flavor, a little red bell pepper fruitiness to it, but the lime leaf is well in front of it, cocktail-like, majorly cohesive overall, nicer whiskey personality, vanilla bean, molasses, high end tobacco. glorious citrus freshness on top of all the dark, nice balancing bitterness and not too sweet even with the pineapple, everything works so well together but each element is also fully appreciable. i am real partial to lime leaf personally, and i just love what it does in here. tons of body, massive on the palate and going down, warm with both chili and with alcohol, but an incredibly unique mix of flavors, i thought this was positively brilliant!

can at share 3/7/26

Can. Colour is nearly complete black with thin brown head. Nose is loaded with coconut , dark chocolate , coconut cream and sweet spice. Palate is coconut, dried pineapple , quince, and a heady -dry and spicy with massively coating feel. The finish is super long , warming and very hearty with hints of lime leaf.